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specication, in whichfto" come down is the ordinary spring drop or fall,1; which serves in connection withthe serrated "rrims a, a, of the baseA, for confining the rat, madeofring ormand turning on a ot the drop orfa1l,`asshown.`

of` `lVatertown, lin the fcountyjof Litchfield t `and State ofConnecticut, have invented ja "@newand useful `Improvennentin Rat-Traps;and I do herebydeclare thatthe following i isla full, clear, exactdescriptions of the "saine,` referencefbeing had to the accom` `panyingdrawings, *forming part kof "this l*Figure l, isla planlortop viewoftheftrap, n n. not set., `Fig.2,is a: vertical4 longitudinal n sectionof thefsame, setglthe red lines `in this viewshowit as `it appearsafter'being unset, "[Similarlettersjof reference indicat`e`cor-` l @respondingparts inthe two iigures. 1`

`My ,invention relates to n an improvement t t that-"descriptionof `jrattrap` which employs a spring fall: or` drop which is so; com- *ibinedwith a :trigger that when the rat lays `hold of the` bait andrpullsharditis lcaused ith great force andlkill or Qconne himsecurely."` l

. The nature" of said improvement consists in the employmentofatiltin'gor swinging Nplatefand afbalancing or counteracting spring,invcombination` with the ordinary fspring; drop forvfallffor the`purpose 4of always ,insuringtheaction of the trap, the

i "moment theratcomes upon 'the tilting botn tom to eat thesavorymorsel;

t To enable others to fullyunderstand my y invention, Itwill proceed todescribe` it ",ininutely@` n 1 i `A,`rep`resents `thebase "of the trapconsisting of a` castXiron annular rimmed plate,

` 1 having an arm `B,on` rear" side.

l'rims a, a, of this plate are serrated like a The ulcrum atb, andrenderedelastic or capable `of exerting power byvmeans `of a spring D,

which `is attachedftothe rear of the arm B, and to astopQc, on the topof the fulcrum STATES '1i-Wl"ENTv onnieji,

` l specification @Letters retenant). 12,892,1`dated May 22, 1855.

l. E, vhinged tilting `plate upon. which thebaitis placed and by which"thetrap is unset through the weight of the rat as he approaches thebait. This tilting plate is hinged at d, and has an arm e, formed on it:which extends back a shortdistance from l. F, is a spring arranged onthe upper side of `the `arm B; the forward endof this spring passesunder and acts forcibly against the extension e, of the tilting plateand causes it .to exert power against the stopt', of the drop or fall`when the trap is set as `shown in Fig'. 2, and thereby almost entirelycounter- `actfthe powerof `the spring D, while the .trap isset, or thefulerum Z), on the center, `and thus avoidV the serious diiiicultyheretofore eXperienced from the :rat not being able `byhis weight tovunset the trap. 'It should be observed thatthe spring F, does notinterferewith the action of the spring D, but

Vrather serves for giving additional force to the drop." I

Operation: The bait being placed on the tilting plate the trap `is setas shown in black. A rat passes upon the'tilting plate and by hisweightdepresses it, in doing which he throws up the arm e, of thetilting 4plate and thereby, through the agency of the balancing orcounteracting spring F, throws the stop e, and fulcrum o the center Vandthus enables spring D, to act and Jforce the drop or fall down upon therat or to the position shownin red in Fig. 2, and` kill or confine` himsecurely. l

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

The employment of a tilting or swinging plate E, and balancing orcounteracting spring F, in `combination with the ordinary spring drop orfall C, substantially as and `for the purposes set forth.

LUC'IUS B. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

R. S. BEERS, C. B. KING.

